(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cabinet locking system, which has at least one cabinet and access authorization means, with which specific compartments of the cabinet can be released to be opened. The invention also relates to cabinets suitable for such a system.
Cabinets and cabinet systems are used in many sectors in trade and industry, for example as stationary or mobile tool cabinets in the industrial production sector or in the workshop sector. Since heavy tools or workpieces often have to be kept in such cabinets, tilting of the cabinets when drawers are opened must be avoided. It has therefore been known for a long time to provide cabinets of this type with an individual pull-out safeguard. This is intended to ensure that a plurality of drawers cannot be opened at the same time, but only one drawer, in order in this way to reduce the tilting moment resulting from the pulled-out drawer.
(2) Description of Related Art
It has been shown that, in some areas of application, security requirements have to be met and are not met by existing cabinets. Thus, for example, the intention is to prevent any persons from having access to security-sensitive parts or tools which are stored in cabinets. This would intrinsically be achieved simply by these elements being locked in compartments in the cabinets. In order to access these, the corresponding compartments would have to be unlocked and locked continually, however, which would disrupt the working sequence considerably. In addition, each compartment would have to be provided with its own lock and key, which increases the outlay on construction. In addition, such a solution would also entail relatively large organizational outlay, since it would be necessary to monitor which persons are given keys for which drawers. In the event of the access authorizations, the return of a large number of keys would have to be monitored would have to be organized.
The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a cabinet system, in particular for the production and workshop sectors, in which it is possible to ensure that only authorized persons have access to drawers or other cabinet compartments and, in spite of these security measures, the working sequences are essentially not impaired.
According to the invention, the object is achieved by a cabinet locking system according to the main claims.
Systems according to the invention should therefore have at least one cabinet, preferably a number of cabinets, in which compartments preferably constructed as drawers, in particular in different cabinets, can be allocated uniquely to one user or one use group. The allocation is made via an electronic processing unit, with which each locking device of the compartments is assigned to a specific code and therefore to a specific user group. In order that the allocation can be selected freely and changed, this is preferably done by software implemented in the electronic processing unit.
The electronic processing unit should be connected to the individual locking devices of the interlocking device and the access authorization device and switched in such a way that locking devices are released as soon as a code associated with this group is input by the access authorization device or is detected as being applicable. In order that the desired drawers can be released, appropriate switching signals have to be sent to the respective locking devices.
A cabinet system according to the invention can include virtually any number of cabinets, drawers, groups and users. It can therefore be used to regulate the access authorization of all the cabinets, in particular all the security-sensitive cabinets, or other lockable storage means, in a production shop, workshop or the like. However, it can likewise be used to administer and regulate the access authorization of only one cabinet, for example a tool cabinet that is mobile and provided with drawers.
In a preferred embodiment, the cabinet system is based on a drawer cabinet described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,388. This has a central mechanical interlocking device which is provided with an interlocking profile in which each drawer engages with a tongue. The tongue serves on the one hand to lock the drawer against impermissible pulling out of the drawer when the cabinet is locked via a central lock. On the other hand, the tongue is also a constituent part of an individual pull-out safeguard. The latter ensures that no further drawers can be pulled out as soon as the action of pulling out a first drawer has been started. In combination with the cabinet system according to the invention, it is therefore always possible for only one drawer in a cabinet to be pulled out at specific points in time. The invention supplements the cabinet to the effect that, in principle, only those drawers can be pulled out which belong to one or more groups of drawers with regard to which an authorization means or code has been detected by the access authorization vice, and therefore have been released to be pulled out. In order to keep the complications on construction as low as possible, the separate locking devices provided to distribute the access authorization for each drawer can also be constituent parts of the individual pull-out safeguard at the same time.
An advantageous and constructionally uncomplicated locking device can be implemented by the locking of a drawer being carried out via a spring-loaded slide which, in order to be released, is pushed out of its locking position by a reciprocating magnet. This release is always carried out in all the drawers which belong to a specific group in the sense of the present invention. These drawers are therefore in principle ready to be pulled out as soon as the electronic processing unit has detected the code input into the access authorization device as being applicable and has emitted a corresponding release signal. Only the individual pull-out safeguard prevents more than one of these drawers being pulled out at the same time.
In a further preferred embodiment, it is possible to ensure that, in the event of a power failure, all the drawers are secured against any access. Because of the power failure, firstly the reciprocating magnets belonging to the locking devices lose their effect, by which means all the slides in a cabinet are transferred into a release position by the springs acting on them in each case. However, locking the drawers is then carried out centrally by means of the interlocking profile, which is operatively connected to a power-fail safeguard. In one embodiment, provision can be made for this purpose for a lever to act on the central interlocking profile, said lever being pivoted by a spring from a release position into a locking position. The spring acts only in the event of a power failure, since its spring force is otherwise counteracted by a further reciprocating magnet belonging to the power-fail safeguard. Because of the spring in the power-fail safeguard, the interlocking profile is transferred into its locking position and locked in the latter. All the drawers are therefore secured against being pulled out, irrespective of whether they were previously in an xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d position on the basis of the locking devices that can be switched via the access authorization device. In order to have access to the drawers again in spite of a power failure continuing, provision can be made for the drawers to be capable of being opened again by using a mechanical lock system, which preferably likewise acts on the interlocking profile.
In a further preferred embodiment, the power-fail safeguard can have a mains-independent emergency power supply. Using a sensor in the power-fail safeguard, it can be determined whether the interlocking profilexe2x80x94or any other interlocking device in the drawersxe2x80x94is located in the locking or release position. With the aid of a suitable actuating means, for example two reciprocating magnets acting in opposite directions, the interlocking profile can be actuated even during a power failure. In conjunction with the sensor, provision can in particular be made for the interlocking profile always to be transferred into its locking position during a power failure if it should be located in the release position for any reason.
Further preferred configurations of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.